Coop Location Questions

[Afrodigh]

I am in coop-planning phase and have some questions for the chicken experts out there.

1) Chickens & garden: I came across this blog the other day (http://houseandbloom.com/from-grass-to-garden-presenting-the-potager/) and would really like to build something similar in my backyard. My thought is to use hardware cloth instead of deer fence so that it can be a multipurpose rodent-free garden and large chicken run (free ranging is not allowed in my area and my yard is not fully fenced in). Would chickens totally annihilate a garden though if they are allowed to roam free?

2) Location: If this multipurpose garden/run is a go, there are two places in my backyard that could work. Option A (see attached images) would be easier to run water too (I'm considering burying a hose to have soaker hoses for the garden beds and closer water access for chicken care) but it is shadier (i.e. not so great for veggies). Option B would require more length of buried hose, but is sunny most of the day (i.e. better for veggies). However, this is Nashville and our summers are very humid and can linger in the high 90s low 100s for days - is that much sun a bad idea for feathered friends?

Coop Location Yard

• Afrodigh
• Oct 14, 2017
• 1

Coop yard location plan

• Afrodigh
• Oct 14, 2017

Deciding on coop/garden location

 

[AllynTal]

1) Yes, and in very short order. They're awesome to let in the garden in fall when the plants are done or spring before you plant to loosen up the soil, but while the garden is underway, they'll destroy it.

2)In an area with hot summers, I would plan for summer sun. That means putting the coop in the shade and/or putting a roof-over on it so it doesn't turn into an oven. In winter, deciduous trees loose their leaves and you get some sun which is welcome when it gets cold out. I would put the coop in the shade, the garden in the sun, put a chicken run around the coop and maybe connect it to the garden enclosure with a pop door so you can let the chickens into the garden when *you* want them in there.

Now, in reference to 1), I let my chickens into my garden once the plants are big enough to survive some abuse, but I have all my plants in containers so they can't reach except for the bottom foot to 18 inches of the plants and they can't get *into* the containers to scratch the soil. As an example, my tomato vines are absolutely bare -- completely devoid of leaves -- on the bottom 18 inches of the plant and then they're lush with leaves and fruits above that. The chickens eat the leaves and blossoms as far up as they can reach; and if they miss a blossom, they'll eat the young green tomato.

The chickens are master-scratchers and they'll dig the soil around the plants, uprooting the plants in their way and eating the plants they find yummy. They'll also eat the young veggies, if you even get veggies on the plants because they'll eat the blossoms first. So if you can fit that into your garden plan, let them free-range in the garden. Maybe you could put chicken-wire panels on top of the raised-garden base to keep the chickens out of the plots and then remove the panels once the plants are big enough to survive some abuse.

 

[Molpet]

chickens dig up plants that they will not eat, eat any leafy green or fruit of tomatoes squash and such... and need shade,, people put chicken tunnels around the garden and let the birds in the garden when crops are done

 

[rosemarythyme]

That garden you linked is very beautiful... put chickens in it and it'll look like a hungry tornado tore through.

That said I have my garden beds in my chicken run. I've fenced off each bed with chicken wire (which doesn't stop the chickens from eating anything that grows too close to the edge) and cover it with bird netting (the chickens were jumping into the beds and tearing everything up).

Below is a photo of my set up, without the fencing around the beds... of course 75% of that grass is long gone now.


I definitely vote for putting your coop in a shadier area if possible. Chickens can deal with shade/ cool temperatures without issue, but heat can be deadly.